Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/143

] The manner in which we were received at Stellenboch afforded a triking contrat with the franknes and cordiality of our reception at Bottelary. This was a very pleaant village; but we found that we were not to expect every where that agreeable franknes of manners, which characteries the planters of the Cape. We had imagined that a letter of recommendation from Colonel Gordon, addreed to M. Hoffman, would be ufficient to introduce us: but it was not till after he had carefully examined our paport, that he invited us to remain at his houe. There are no public inns at Stellenboch, no more than at the Cape Town; but the Dutch inhabitants of the town accommodate Grangers at a ettled price, which indemnifies the landlord. We were lodged at M. Hoffman's very nearly upon the ame footing as at the Cape.

On the following day I viited the hills in the neighbourhood of Stellenboch.

The beautiful tree called brabeium tellulifolium, remarkable for its fruit, which reembles in hape that of the almond-tree, grew here upon the banks of a rivulet that runs through the village.

I enriched my collection with everal kinds of orchis, and with the pecies of the protea, called mellifera, pallens and pecioa; beides a number of other plants. On